This shawl served a dual function: it provided warmth to the thin base garment and demonstrated the fashion-consciousness of the wearer, as the cloths were extremely popular through the mid-nineteenth century. Kashmiri shawls were popularized by Napoleon's wife, the Empress Josephine, owner of an extensive collection. Imported shawls were prohibitively expensive for many, and European cities, like Paisley in Scotland, the likely source for this example, began to produce less costly shawls in imitative motifs.

Object Number: P86.71.2

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992